I know that "gracious professionalism" is a huge part of FIRST, but I was just wondering if anyone knows when or how the "graciously accepting" (in the alliance selection ceremony) started.

I actually think that calling oneself "gracious" is itself ungracious, and it would be better if, when called to join an alliance, the team captain said: "Team [000] humbly accepts team [000]'s gracious offer."

I remember in one regional, probably Buckeye '03. One alliance started that around 3/4 then every team that had accepted said it also. It's just a a thing one team does and other reply as the same.

We also had this chat after FLR a few of us. It doesn't always work when you put the word gracious infront of anything. Think Battle bots, after a winning match do ya go over to the loser and go we "Graciously kicked your butt"!?

I'm not sure it really matters. I recall watching old videos where Woodie tried to get team to just say only the team number they wanted to invite (instead of teams xx and xx would like to invite xx)... and asking them to be brief. Just cuz someone says only "yes" doesn't mean they are ungracious either. I think it's read into too much.

I think "yes we accept" is just as good as "we graciously accept" or "heck yeah we accept!". Just a matter of preference I guess. I'd like to hear people change it up so long as it's brief.

I don't think they are calling themselves gracious. I always interpreted that saying as "We are honored that you chose us and we accept this thankfully".... Synonym for gracious is "cordial", "polite", and "courteous". Either way, if I called or considered myself polite or cordial, that's not ungracious at all. Any of those words is fine - none sound conceited or ungracious to me.

Students... when you are picking a team or accepting a pick, have some creativity. Tell your mother hello. Give a shout out to your entire team. Give us a 'lil John "Yeeeaaaah!" Sing a little song. Recite a brief poem. Tell a tasteful, quick joke.

This would be neat to see. You can still have some fun while being gracious.

I agree with Andy, have fun with it. Unless of course, you're scared to death at being out there and saying the wrong thing and then a "yes thank you" would be acceptable. But from what I know of FIRST kids, bashfulness is not a common trait.

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I think someone posted that "Team 0000 graciously accepts" is actually bad english, and it should really be gratefully in that instance.

I was the one who wrote that "gratefully" is probably the word that was meant when "we graciously accept" was first uttered. I didn't say it bad English, though. Grammatically, it's perfectly proper.

If I were to describe another team's acceptance as gracious, I would be saying that the team might reasonably have been expected to turn down the offer (possibly because they could do better with a different partnership), but in a show of grace, they accepted the offer. To describe ones own actions thusly, is definitely not gracious.

I dont know about other regionals but GLR was was an all out adverb fight "figurtavly of course" but i was kind of irritated by the teams almost trying to one-up each other for a better "gracious" synonnym but i agree that just a simple yes is just fine and some times others are read into too much

Instead of "Team XXXX graciously accepts" how about just a big "yeaaaahhhhh!" ?

Our mechanical mentor tried convincing the person that was representing our team to go "Yeahhhh booyyyyy!" (think rapper style) when we were asked to join an alliance. Lets just say she graciously declined that offer.

It bugs me when all of the teams say the same thing. Come on! Go for some originality!

Last year at the Buckeye regional when we were picked, instead of saying "Team 166 graciously accepts" our Captain said "Team 166 thinks it would be wicked awesome to play with you guys" stressing the "wicked"

*proud of the fact that he's from New England*

Another team ran out, hugged the team representative and said "We love you guys"

I agree with Andy, have fun with it. Unless of course, you're scared to death at being out there and saying the wrong thing and then a "yes thank you" would be acceptable. But from what I know of FIRST kids, bashfulness is not a common trait.

Heh, yeah I remember one of the regionals last year someone accidentally said "gracefully accepts" and we were all quietly snickering behind their back, picturing their team in tutus accepting the alliance. It really did annoy me though, when everyone says the same thing.